28 February 2013

Ok....so thanks to Meg (Knitnotes in Ravelry), I have started monitoring my knitting and spinning for the year in miles. Ha!! The metres can be found on the left sidebar of the blog page. Not everything is in there yet, but it's a start. I have decided not to count all the knitting I do/have done that was frogged because I didn't like it...happens way to often and this year it's been a frogging kind of year so far. I should have a frog metre... Although it probably wipe out my knit metre at this point.

Anyway...fun...check it out and I'll be keeping up with distance.

On another note....just a thought/observation....why is it that if you're in a movie theatre of 250 seats with very few viewers, the next person in has to sit right by you? Or the five people in the theatre have to cluster together? Is there a human need to huddle? Must we hear each other breathe and crunch popcorn? Do we instinctively need to connect even in a setting which can be solitary? Also....really, how much perfume is enough?

25 February 2013

Ok....so a little bit ago....ok, seriously I think it was November of 2011, I started a Donegal Tweed Alpaca Coat. I began by using Hannah Fettig's Featherweight Cardigan pattern, but quickly dropped that for my own version of a top down raglan sleeved sweater.

Many of you know I actually started the pattern properly in cashmere and am slowly but surely working on it....stockinette stitch on size 5 needles, yuck..... But, the coat is finished, has been finished for a bit, but I really wanted to get some shots with someone other than me wearing it....so thank you to Joan who was gracious enough to pose over the weekend.

I finished off the coat with a cable rib hem, yoke and cuff.....the cuff being tapered from the center top to the shorter back. Love this look.

21 February 2013

Ok....new spins.....much fun. The colors are from Dicentra....Lisa does beautiful saturated colors that spin into lovely yarns. Both of these were just spun and plied back to each other randomly. Love it. I still have more of these colors to spin, but this is a good start.

The natural yarn is a wool (not sure what, but soft....feels like merino) and angora blend that was gifted from Reyna. I debated plying it with something else to stretch the yardage, but finally landed on plying it back on itself....which is beautiful. I'm not yet finished spinning and already have 465 yards....so I think I'll have plenty for a nice knit.

19 February 2013

Ok.....so it was a lovely long weekend away....spinning, knitting, eating, hanging with friends and then eating some more. I decided that Center Hill Lake (slightly east of Nashville) would be a good setting for such a get-a-way....and so it was.

I totally lucked out with a beautiful and comfortable cabin....with....an amazing view. I haven't spent much time in this area since moving south, but am looking forward to doing so in the future.

I saw a blue bird for the first time...let's hope they bring some luck. We saw them while out walking and on Monday morning, they sat with me on the porch.

We were able to enjoy the outdoors a bit, although Saturday was pretty cold....and I was even treated to some minor snow flurries. Perfect!!

Ok....the food....seriously, we ate well. And I don't have any idea how many pots of coffee (with foamed milk) Jan made....so very many.

14 February 2013

Ok....so most of you know that I've been totally groovin' on eco-dyeing silk scarves....so much fun. There is this great moment when you unwrap the scarf to see what it became...usually a great surprise. Here are a few photos of my latest. There are three scarves pictured here....the first has some beautiful mauve and orange, the second has a little orange in it, but mostly lovely greens, blues and black...and the third is lovely mauve...some green leaves, but mostly just the luscious mauve.